Republic Knights
by Sean Son of Athena
Summary: The freshly promoted Jedi knight Tharen leads his new padawan through the councils mission, teaching her and later learns that the force isn't as black and white as the Council believes. Please read and review. Takes place four weeks before the clone wars, then continues to fall of the order.
1. Chapter 1

_An/ I wrote this story during an excruciating case of writteres block, I hope people like it._

My name is Tharen Rarth, I have been at the Jedi Temple since I was eight, now I am eighteen. I am alone in the boy's dorm room on the east side of the temple. I was trying to remain calm while I waited for my master, Tera Caren, to return from her meeting with the jedi council.

I had been trying to meditate for the past two hours but my mind buzzed with speculations of what they were talking about. _Maybe we'll get sent on some mission!_ I thought happily to myself. _I'd settle for a walk to get Master Yaddle's laundry at this point_. Being _grounded _in the temple for the past two weeks was starting to take its toll.

Personally I blamed my friend Saras. Sneaking out at night had been her _genius _idea. She had talked me into accompanying her to the lower levels of Coruscant to "explore the streets and examine the night life." Well truth be told, the only reason either of us hadn't been killed by a pack of drunken bounty hunters was because our masters had been following us.

When we got back to the temple Master Caren could barely look at me. While she hadn't yelled at me, I was punished. The only time I had been out of my quarters was when I had a class with one of the masters and to eat.

That was until this morning when Caren finally had calmed down enough to talk to me. She said that the council had requested to speak to her, and if she was sent on a mission, I probably would be allowed to accompany her.

A soft knock on the door way alerted me to the presence of someone else in the room. "You going to get ready or take a nap?" Said a young female voice.

I looked up to see Saras. Her black hair was cut just above her shoulder except her padawan braid, which rested partway down her gray tunic. She was extremely beautiful... I mean, that's what I've heard.

"What do you mean?" I asked as I stood up from my bed. "Where's Master Caren?"

"She's still in the tower with the Council." She answered. "Master Slather sent me to accompany you up there."

"Why would they want me?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "Lets go find out." She turned and stepped out of the room. I grabbed my cloak off its hook and ran down the hall to join her. "Race you to the fountains!" She laughed. "Last one there buys lunch for a week." She bolted down the hall.

We raced down the hallways. I saw a few jedi masters give us angry glares as we rushed past us, but they didn't stop us. As we reached the room of a thousand fountains I crashed headfirst into someone. We both slammed into the ground painfully.

"Watch where you're going." Snapped the girl I had landed on. I rolled off her and Saras pulled me off the ground with a smug grin. The girl appeared to be no older than twelve and had pale skin. She had shiny white hair was tied in a tight bun on the back of her head. She was only as tall as my shoulder and wore a long, tan tunic. A single lightsaber hung from her belt. She took a calming breath. "Have either of you seen Master Caren?" Asked the girl, eyeing me like I was a clumsy child. "I was told to wait for her here."

"She's with the Council." Answered Saras. "We're on our way up there now."

"If it makes up for running into you." I apologized. "I'll tell her you're waiting for her."

She crossed her arms and contemplated. "That would be a start." She turned to the elevator down the hall, we would take to the council tower. "But I think I'll just follow you up."

"Fine with me." I sighed. "Lets get going."

None of us spoke until the elevator door opened. "By the way, you will be buying lunch." Smirked Saras. She playfully punched me causing the girl accompanying us to roll her eyes and looked at us like we were children. Saras and I ignored her.

~~~•••~~~

The lift stopped at the top floor. The girl said she would wait until Master Caren was done with the council in the hallway and told us her name was Ranna. "Don't make me wait too long." The girl's sarcasm told me she had at least partially forgiven me. I laughed at her comment before Saras led me into the council chambers.

The room was dark, but I remembered the general layout of the chambers. The room was circular with large windows that looked out over the Coruscant skyline, but were now shut tight enough for no light to squeeze through. I caught the outlines of the multiple chairs that formed a horseshoe along the outskirts of the room.

Saras disappeared as I stepped into the center of the room. Now I was starting to feel confused, I sensed no malicious intent, in fact the force around me felt calming. A few seconds passed, then twelve lightsabers burst to life around me. For a moment I thought about reaching for mine, but something told me not to.

A figure wielding bright green lightsaber stepped forward in front of me. When the figure was less than three steps from me, Master Caren's elderly, wrinkled face was revealed by her lightsaber's glow. She smiled proudly at me.

The other figures around us stepped forward and lowered their lightsabers.

"We are all Jedi. The force speaks through us." Recited Master Caren. Through our actions the force proclaims itself and what is real. Today we are here to acknowledge what the force has proclaimed." She motioned for me to kneel before her. "By the right of this council, by the will of the force, I name thee Jedi, knight of the republic." In one swift move she cut off my padawan braid.

The windows opened, allowing the morning sun to light the room, and the rest of the master's filed out in silence. I didn't stand until only Master Caren remained. "I am most grateful master." I said respectfully. She gave me a wrinkled smile. "But, I thought you were still angry with me."

"I was never angry with you." She answered. Caren motioned to Saras, who was now waiting by the door. "We told Saras to talk you into joining her to the under-city. How do you think we knew where to find you?" Master Caren chuckled like it was her own plan and she was finally getting a chance to brag about it. "I only acted mad at you to test your humility. That was your final trial, it was to test if you knew how to accept repercussions."

"Master I- I don't know what to say."

"You shouldn't be thanking me, you've made me proud." Answered my former master. "The Council saw you fit enough to proceed to the next step of your training." She approached the exit to the chambers and returned with Ranna. "All we ask is for you to take on an apprentice." She placed her hands on Ranna's shoulders.

My mind raced a thousand parsec's a minute. Was I ready to be master to the next generation of Jedi? Could I keep my padawan safe? Master Caren had always taught me to have faith in two things, the force and myself. If I followed what I had learned from Caren, of course I could. "Yes master."

"Have you two met before?"

"We've run into each other before." I chuckled. Master Caren gave me a strange look and Ranna muffled a laugh.

"I would like you to train her." Ranna looked behind her and gave Caren a suprised look. "I planned to train her myself, but I'm getting to old."

"Master that's not true!" Ranna turned around completely and hugged the elderly Jedi. For a moment I had the urge to stop her, but Caren waved me off.

"You'll be fine, its time for me to retire to the library and help teach younglings or something." She held the girl tightly. "You'll still see me." Ranna nodded and stepped away from her. "So will you take her on as your padawan?"

"Of course master."

"Good." She turned away from us and walked to the window and watched as speeders and other sky-cars zipped by. "The council wishes for you two to travel to Telos." I looked across the room for Saras, but she had disappeared again. "Civilian's there are experiencing a strange plague that the government is having difficulty identifying." She turned and looked me in the eyes. "You are to report to the research lab, pick up the sample and bring it back here." Her tone told me she was afraid we wouldn't come back. "A starship is waiting for you two in the shuttle bay."

"Thank you master." I bowed and so did my new apprentice.

"May the force be with you." Master Caren bowed back and dismissed us.

~~~•••~~~

Ranna told me about herself on the way to the docking bay. Her friends called her Etch as a joke about her half Echani heritage. She told me the story on how she had met Master Caren. Apparently her parents had been farmers on Eshan, when riots broke out on the planet her parents were killed and Master Caren saved her from looters. Master Caren had been like a grandmother to her when she started at the temple.

Saras was waiting for us at the docking bay. "Master." She joked, as she noticed Ranna trailing behind me. I rolled my eyes, concealing my pride.

"I'm not a master yet Sar, what are you doing down here?"

"Just wanted to see you off." She grinned as she led us over to our star ship. "This is the ship the council is loaning you." She pointed to a green Delta - 6 star fighter. The cockpit had been modified to allow a second pilot. A green R-1 droid had been installed to the triangular ship's port side. "I'd better get going, Master Slather said we were going to train today."

"Take care Saras." I said climbing onto the ship and opening the cockpit.

"Be careful." She waved back. "You still owe me lunch." She nodded to Ranna and meandered out of the docking bay.

"Come on Etch, lets get going." She rolled her eyes historically at the mention of her nickname and climbed into the fighter. I took the back seat so I could help her if I needed to.

We both grabbed the headsets that rested on the controls and put them on. "Testing, white two checking in." Ranna's voice echoed through the sound of the ships engines.

"Rodgers that, coming in clear." I answered with a grin. At least she had a playful side. "White two, you think you can fly us out of the bay?"

She flicked a few switches on her consol. "Yes master." Ranna grabbed the throttle and the fighter levatated off it's landing gear. The ship launched forward and once we were outside, we pitched upward. "Plotting course for hyperdrive ring."

"Good." I swiftly transfered control of the ship to my station and jerked my throttle to the left to avoid colliding with a civilian's speeder.

"Blast!" Ranna cursed as she noticed the ship she almost collided us with. "I'm so sorry master." She apologized.

"It's fine." I reached over her chair and patted her on the shoulder. "That's why I'm here." The moment we exited atmosphere I aligned us with the hyperdrive ring. "Can you plot course for Telos, while I finish the start up sequence for the hyperdrive?"

"Of course." She laughed.

A few moments later we were gone, traveling through hyperspace. I had to laugh at Ranna. Her face was glued to the vessel's canopy watching the stars hurtle by. I set the fighter to auto pilot. "Hey Etch, what are you looking at?"

"The stars, aren't they beautiful?" Her voice sounded amazed.

"Haven't you ever been in hyperspace before?"

"Only in simulations, I never imagined it was this beautiful!"

"Its more beautiful if you see it through the force." I answered.

"Can you teach me how?" She asked excitedly.

"Close your eyes." I ordered her calmly. I waited a moment. "You feel the force around you?" She nodded. "Imagine it as fog, push it back and clear your view."

"Yes Master."

"Don't talk just listen." I answered calmly. Feel for the distant force." I could sense her amazement. "Can you feel the lives, on all the planets, all the star systems?" She nodded again, her posture relaxed further.

I let her meditate for a few minutes longer, until she finally stopped, breathing hoarsely like she had just run twelve miles. "Tharen, that was the most-" she was at a lost for words. "They don't teach that at the temple, who showed you that?"

"Master Caren showed me when we first met." I answered as the ship dropped out of hyperspace, into orbit of Telos. "I figured I should pass it on." I felt a sense of pride, my first step as an teacher. "Disengage the hyperdrive ring." I ordered as I began plotting course for the planet's capital.

As we neared the planet the communications unit beeped, signaling an open channel. I flicked the switch, allowing the message to be received through my headset. "Unidentified fighter, this is Telos Flight Control, you are entering Telosian territory, please identify." A male voice rattled through the headset.

"Understood Control. We are on a mercy mission fom the Jedi Council." I answered as I sent our identification codes. "Requesting permission to land at Bao - Duar"

A few moments passed silently. "Permission granted." My screen flashed with coordinates, overlaid over a map. "Just a warning sir, Telos is under quarantine. You will not be permitted to leave until you have been passed by our medical technicians."

"Affirmative, that it why we are here." The channel closed abruptly. "Well Etch." I sighed. "You heard the man, bring us in." I released the throttle and gave her control.

Ranna guided the fighter to the landing pad without incident, although it might have had to do with the distinct lack of other air traffic. We landed on a pad that jutted out the side of an enormous, metallic tower. The building reminded me of a large rocket that had been warped so that it bowed to the side like an arc. The city around us was unusually quiet, devoid of any life.

Three security officers were waiting I opened the canopy and allowed Ranna to climb out first. "Evening Master Jedi, we just received the council's transmission a little bit ago." Announced the man in the center. He wore an olive green uniform that was held tight by a pistol belt. His face was

"Thank you, but I'm barely a Jedi knight." I answered graciously.

"Oh!" He seemed surprised. "Well either way you're here to help us Mister-" He paused and looked at me, slightly embarrassed. "I'm not too familiar with the Jedi order, what does someone call some one of your status?"

"Just call me Tharen." I motioned to Ranna, who was standing next to me. "This is my Padawan, Ranna." She nodded meekly.

"Well Tharen, if you will follow me, we'll take you to the labs so you can continue your mission." I nodded. "Okay, right this way." He instructed as he motioned for Ranna and I to follow him inside.

~~~•••~~~

The medical lab was on the other side of the city. Administrator Onasi had us transported in a heavily armored rover that rattled and shook with every slow step. Poor Ranna looked extremely uneasy. She watched the refuse filled street. "Master, this just isn't right." She whispered to me. "Where is everyone? Its the middle of the day!"

"I don't know Etch." I answered.

"In their homes." Answered Onasi from the front of the vehicle. "We're trying to contain the disease as much as possible."

"Isn't it a little extreme?" Asked Ranna. "If it's not an airborne virus, shouldn't people be able to walk around freely?"

"You don't seem to understand what this virus does to the body, girl." His tone became more agitated the longer he spoke. "It doesn't kill it's host, it changes them."

"Like a mutation?" I asked before Ranna could blurt out something rude.

"Worse." He answered bluntly. "The host becomes some sort of monster. It bites someone else and they to become one of the creatures." The rover rattled harder every time he spoke. "The only option we have left in my opinion is to burn the city and all the people in it." I envisioned the entire city burning to fuel his hatred for this creature. "But that decision is up to the Prime Minister."

"You're a monster!" Shouted my padawan.

While I completely agreed with her, it was our job to be diplomatic. I would have to reprimand her later, Master Caren had never yelled at me in public out of respect and I planned to follow my former master's example.

"No, I'm just a realist." The administrator shrugged like he'd been told that a thousand times. "It's not feasible to save everyone, might as well save time."

I shot Ranna a look that told her not to continue her argument no matter how much I agreed with her. She gave me a surrendering nod and sunk into her seat. "I think what my padawan meant to say was, that there must be other options."

"Doctor Kadra claims she can cure it if she could get better equipment." He answered. "But she even admits it would be a long shot."

"Isn't at least worth trying?" Now I was starting to get irritated by his pessimism . "Even if if it only saves a few people."

"I don't have to argue morals with you." He spat as the rover stopped just outside a stone building. "The Prime Minister and Doctor Kadra are waiting for you inside." His tone told me that he wasn't in the mood to talk anymore. Ranna and I climbed out the rovers hatch ti the outside. He slammed the hatch behind us and speed away back towards the tower.

"Well he's just a bottle of sunshine." Chuckled Ranna. I gave her a disappointed look. "What?" She shrugged.

"Ranna, you need to be more tactful." She knew I wasn't joking, wasn't mad. I was just disappointed. "If we're going to go on missions, I need you to-"

"I understand Master, but what he was saying was just wrong."

"I completely agree with you." I answered. "But it's not our place to judge. As long as he doesn't have the power to act, we can't do anything."

"Okay Tharen, its just..."

"I know." I turned away from her to the structure. The building was smaller than most the others that covered the city. I could tell there were two floors by the two windows that flanked both halves of the building. The weird thing was that the only light that emanated from it was on the top flow, a lone light source flickered green from the window. "Does that seem a little strange to you?"

"Very."

I grabbed my lightsaber off my belt and flipped it on. My lightsaber blazed a bright green. I looked over at Ranna, who held a full length, blue saber-staff.

I squeaked open the damaged Plexiglas door. My lightsaber cast creepy shadows as Ranna and I proceeded deeper into the lab. Shattered glass crunched and cracked beneath our boots. "How did Onasi not notice this when we showed up?" Whispered Ranna, she had shut off one of her saber-staff's blades to accommodate for the hall ways tight corridors.

"I don't know, he should have plainly seen it from the rover." I answered. A medical gurney emitted a high pitched squeal as I pushed it out of our way. A disturbing growl echoed above us.

I stopped hearing the sound of crunching glass behind me. I turned to see Ranna frozen in fear. The poor girl, it must have been her first time off planet for a while, and what do I do first? Bring her on a mission with deadly, disease creatures. Some master I was. Maybe it would have been better for her safety if I had told her to stay with the fighter, but then I reminded myself of when I was a young padawan. I had hated it when Master Caren had me stay behind "for my own safety", I didn't want to start our partnership like that.

"Etch, you okay?"

"Yea- yeah, I'm coming." She rattled. I could tell she was extremely scared. She ran forward to catch up, stopping next to me.

"Stay close to me, I'll keep you safe."

"I can keep myself safe, thank you." She uttered as we both took a step forward. She seemed more comfortable to have me behind her. Her steps seemed more confident.

As we approached the stairs that would take us upstairs the growl happened again only closer, a lot closer. I pulled Ranna behind me and stepped into the stair well. The growl disappeared as we reached the top floor. The entire floor was one large room that was crowded with miscellaneous medical equipment. A trail of green blood led to a female Twi'lek's corpse that was draped across a computer consol.

"What happened to her?" Asked Ranna stepping closer to the corpse.

"I have no ide-" A blue creature stepped out of the shadows and stared at us, flaring its foamy mouth. It's claws scrapped along the tile deck.

I readied my lightsaber, this creature radiated dark energy and it made me uneasy. Was this the creature Onasi had been talking about? Had it been what killed the Twi'lek?

"Tharen!" Screamed Ranna. "She's moving!" I turned to see what Ranna was talking about. Big mistake. The monster I had been watching charged. I had just enough time to spin around to face the creature before it was sent flying through the air and impaled on a broken pipe.

I turned back to see Ranna's hand outstretched as if she had used the force. "You okay?" Her breathing was labored and frightened. I nodded. "The twi'lek, she was moving a minute ago." She pointed to what I had thought was a corpse.

I ran over to her immediately as I noticed her shallow breath. She looked me in the eyes when she saw me, frightened eyes, like ones that had seen pure darkness and lived to tell the tale. "Stop him!" She groaned painfully. "Rakghouls, I know what they are." She grabbed my hand tightly. "Onasi released them..." Blood began to bleed profusely out of a gash across her white lab coat. "Don't let us bur-" a final groan escaped her breath as her hand tensed and her eyes began to whiten. The Twi'lek's head tails began to crack like something was going to break out of them.

I settled my lightsaber against her chest. I hated having to kill her, but I couldn't risk letting whatever she had been changing into surviving. I flicked the switch and my blade burned through her, leaving the body with a burnt hole through her chest cavity. "I'm so sorry I couldn't get here sooner. May you join the force." I said solemnly as I slid her eyes closed.

"Master..." Ranna breathed. "I think that was Doctor Kadra." She held a small I.D. up next to the woman's cracked face. "If this is Kadra, is it possible that that thing was the Prime Minister?"

"It has to be, Kadra said that Onasi released some Rakghouls." I answered. "You have any idea what Rakghouls are?"

"No idea." She answered.

"Okay well then we'll need to send this to the council." I grabbed a syringe off a desk and cautiously approached the rakghoul. I stabbed the needle into its dead corpse and removed a blood sample. "Lets get out of here before more show up." I ordered as I slid the syringe into one of my belt pockets.


	2. Chapter 2

Ranna and I contacted our fighter's R-1 droid and told it to fly the starship to where we were. A few moments later we saw the fighter land in front of the lab we were using as a refuge from the rakghouls.

The droid beeped noisily as we approached the fighter. It explained that bombers were being readied for something and I speculated to destroy the city.

"I knew it, that Rancor brain is going to destroy the city!" Her tone sounded like all of her suspicions had been confirmed. "He released the Rakghouls in the lab when the doctor found out what they were, now he's going to kill everyone!"

"Calm down Ranna, we're not going to let that happen." I answered. "I'm going to contact the council, tell them what's going on." I walked over to the wing of the fighter and opened up the booster satellite.

I didn't have enough power to send a complete call but I was able to send out a message and distress call. I told the council that the the Prime Minister was dead and the Capitol city was threatened. I also requested they sent a Jedi Master to help Ranna and I with Onasi.

Our next step was going to be the hard part. Delaying the bombers long enough for the council to send aid. Ranna and I climbed into our fighter and set course for the military hanger on the outskirts of the city. As we flew over I realized we were too late to disable the bombers, too many soldiers lined the runway, so the next pass we made I pulled the trigger on the fighters guns.

Blaster bolts obliterated twelve of the thirty empty fighters. I flipped the ship around to make a second pass, but the military base's defense turrets activated, forcing me to jerk us into a barrel roll. Ranna clenched her stomach like she was going to be sick as I corrected the ships orientation.

There was no way I was going to destroy more fighters without destroying the turrets and to do that I would probably end up killing the gunners, something I wasn't ready to do. Empty bombers was one thing, taking a life was something else entirely.

I powered down the fighters guns, transferred the power to the shield generator and bolted the fighter away from the base as fast as I could.

"What do we do know?" Asked Ranna, who's stark white face returned to its normal, less pale color.

"I'm going to the city control center." I answered, yanking us in the direction of the large tower at the center of the city.

"I'm going with you right?" She asked.

"No, you'll be safer taking the fighter back to Coruscant." I answered. "Make sure the other Jedi arrive in time"

"No way am I being held back, I'm going in with you." She complained. She pounded her fist on the consol and turned around in her seat to face me. "This guy is obviously crazy, you're going to need my help."

"Ranna, you don't get it." I sighed. "I need you to do this. End of conversation." The control tower was now little over a kilometer away. "The best way we can help these people is if I go in alone and you come back with the cavalry."

"Master, the droid can fly the ship by itself, you're leaving me behind because you are trying to 'protect' me." Her tone had changed from angry to understanding. "And I completely understand that, but I don't need to be protected. I need to be taught."

"Ranna..." I sighed. At least I knew she had my back. "Fine, but stay behind me." I ordered as I opened the fighters canopy. I placed the sample of Rakghoul blood on my seat. Then Ranna and I jumped out of the fighter just as we passed over the top of the control center and watched the our ship take off into space.

Hopefully Onasi would assume that we had departed along with our transportation. The roof had no entrance so Ranna and I had to lower ourselves down on grappling hooks. We were lucky, the floor we lowered to was empty. I used my lightsaber to cut a circular hole and Ranna used the force to prevent the cut from crashing the ground alerting every guard in the guiding to our presence. We swiftly ran to the door way that would lead us into what I assumed was a hallway.

Now the bad luck struck. When we opened the door a lone guard happened to be walking by pushing a grav-sled of supplies. He noticed us immediately and pulled his blaster out of its holster. He wore the a dark green military vest and his gray helmet was equipped with a holographic display that over layed in front of his eyes. "Hold it right there!" He barked. I spied Ranna's hands inching towards her lightsaber. The guard fired a warning shot at her feet. I hoped no one heard him fire his weapon. "Hands up Jedi!" He ordered.

Ranna I slowly raised both our hands. I had one option to avoid a firefight in the halls. The force. "We're not the Jedi you're looking for." I soothed, pushing my way into the mans consciousness. I could feel him fighting me.

"I am not the Jedi I am looking for." I had never exactly been the best at mind tricks.

"No, we are not the jedi you are looking for." I corrected, forcing his mind to my will.

"You are not the Jedi I am looking for." His tone was confused and I felt my control over him waver for a moment, but he lowered his pistol.

"You will give me your blaster and tell us where to find the Administrator." Ranna was now helping me and his mind was much easier to bend.

I held out my hand and he dropped the pistol into my hand, then he pointed us in the direction of Onasi's office. The guard collapsed as we released his mind and bolted down the hall.

The halls were empty the entire time we were running down the hallway. I assume it was because Onasi was in the process of evacuating his soldiers. We made it to Onasi's office without incident.

Ranna and I readied our lightsabers before we entered the room. "Ready Etch?"

She gave me a proud nod. "I have your back Master." I had only known the girl for less than a day, but I will admit, I was proud of her. "Ready when you are."

I hit the button that opened the door and we charged inside. The room was the largest of the rooms we had passed through. A single green hologram lit up the room, displaying the entire city and the positions of what I assumed to be artillery placements around the city. Four DSN-4 GAUSE droids stood on standby around it. Onasi was among them relaying orders to his soldiers.

"-to the beta sector, make sure too..." He looked up from the communication unit and noticed us. "Relay to all teams to begin the bombardment." He ordered before switching off the call. He signaled to his droids and they took defensive positions around him. "Was it too much to hope you would get killed by the Rakghouls or shot down?" He bellowed.

"Administrator Onasi, you are under arrest on a count of treason!" I raised my lightsaber in his direction. "Call off your troops and surrender!"

He chuckled at my accusations. I realized that Onasi was armed. He held a small Blast Tech Dl-22 blaster pistol in his right hand and had a long viro-sword attached to his belt.

"This is the only way to protect the rest of the planet!" He explained before firing his blaster.

I deflected the bolt directly back at one of his droids causing it to clatter to the ground. Directly after a barrage of blaster bolts were released from the remaining droids forcing Ranna and I to take refuge behind a crate.

"If I have to give my life to save this planet, that is what I will do!" Screamed Onasi as more bolts riddled our position. I could hear the booming sound of thermal charges bombarding the city. "If one Rakghoul makes it out of this city, the entire planet will be lost!"

A large explosion shook the tower causing Onasi to stumble. I took the opportunity and fired the blaster, the guard had 'given' me, at the three remaining droids, exploding them with each bolt. I dived back behind our refuge just as Onasi unleashed an onslaught of blaster bolts.

I looked over at Ranna. She was clutching her arm tightly. "You okay?" I asked as I moved closer to her.

"I'll be fine Master." She groaned painfully. She scooted closer to the crate revealing a painful blaster burn burned through her tan tunic, creating a painful crater of charred skin just below her elbow.

"Stay down." I ordered her. Now this was personal. I know jedi aren't supposed to get mad, but looking at poor Ranna got the better of me.

I bolted out of cover and charged Onasi. He fired a few surprised blaster shots but I deflected them and sliced his blaster in half. He franticly dropped the destroyed pistol and drew his viro-sword. The administrator had barely enough time to block my first strike before I was moving onto my second strike.

He was able to anticipate each of my assaults after just a few attacks. I had to change my strategy, maybe a more defensive tactic would work better. I let him go on the offence and hoped he would grow tired before I did. He would try to hack through my defense, but I would perry his sword, twisting it in futile attempts to tear the blade from his hand.

Our swords interlocked one last time, sparks flew as my lightsaber contacted his energy enhanced sword. He struggled against each other for what felt like an hour, until a menacing grin grew across his face. He reached down with his free hand and drew a second blaster, a dirty dueling trick.

_Bang! _One blaster bolt struck my chest. _Bang! _The second one struck_._ _Bang! _He fired his third and final bolt. The burns hurt like a thousand blazing suns. I collapsed in pain.

Onasi laughed triumphantly. He slowly walked over to my crippled frame, kicked the lightsaber across the floor, and placed his boot over my throat. "Jedi knight!" He spat before placing more pressure on my neck. "Your council must be very desperate for jedi." His blade was now less than an inch from my face. The room rumbled as more explosions bombarded the city. "I'll do you a favor and kill you before your padawan so you don't see her suffer, I know how important that is to you Jedi." He raised his viro-sword and prepared for one last jab.

_BOOM! _A loud explosion rocked the entire floor and sent both, Onasi and me flying across the room. My head struck the wall and everything went dark.

The next thing I know a blurry woman with dark black hair is lifting me onto a stretcher and placing a bacta mask over my mouth and nose. She must have noticed because she ran her soft hands through my short, red hair. "You did it Tharen." She soothed, her tone was soft and familiar. "The council received your message just in time." I racked my mind trying to figure out who it was. Saras, it had to be her. "Rest, brave Jedi knight, rest." She soothed, gently sliding my grav-strecher out of the room.

Once outside I was exposed to the full onslaught that the city had endured. The area around the tower, and the tower it's self were in ruins. A cloud of purple gas lingered along the streets. A squadron of Jedi starfighters streaked across the sky releasing more of the purple gas to other areas of the city.

Now the combined effects of my injuries and the bacta began to take hold. My eyes grew heavy and I fell into a weary sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

The next time I regained consciousness, I was lying in a cot inside a medical bay. A blue medical droid stood over a bunk a few feet away from me working. My vision was too blurry to see farther than the droid, so I couldn't tell who was in the bed but I hopped it was Ranna.

I tried to pull myself up, but was forced to lay back down by somebody's hand who gently pushed me back down against the pillow.

"Don't move too quickly, you'll tear your bandages." Cautioned Saras's voice.

"Where are we?" I groaned painfully. "Is Ranna okay?"

"We're on the way back to Coruscant." Saras answered. "Saras is fine, she's down the hall getting something to eat." So if it wasn't Ranna in the medical bed, who was it? "You're lucky that the Administrator was on top of you when the tower exploded." Continued Saras.

"What do you mean?"

She pointed to the bed next to me. "He got riddled with shrapnel." Her tone was full of pity. "The droid sau's he'll survive, but probably is going to need cybernetics to breath and walk." She helped me sit upright and sat down beside me. "Not that its going to matter, he's going to be in a Republic prison for a long time."

"Its probably for the best." I answered.

Saras grinned. "I think you're going to be fine." She gave me a joyful slap on the back. "I'll go tell Ranna you're awake, she wanted to speak to you."

"No, I'll go see her." I answered. "I'd be good for her to see that I can stand." I turned to the robotic doctor. "If its alright with the doc, I mean." It nodded but didn't divert it's attention from it's unconscious patient. Saras stood up, then offered me her hand. I took it and she helped me stand upright. I wobbled unsteadily for a few moments and Saras tried to talk me into staying in the med bay, but I told her no.

Even though I objected, she forced me to allow her to help me limp down the large starship's hallway. She led me into a small mess-hall, the walls were metallic with clear view ports that looked into hyperspace. The symbol of the Jedi,a shining lightsaber with republic wings, had been painted on the wall in gold paint.

Ranna sat at a table alone near one of the windows eating and watching the hyperspace blurred stars., away from the six or seven other Jedi on the other side of the room. Her right arm hung in a cloth sling across her chest. Her white hair had been tied back and she was wearing a fresh, clean tunic, which was more than I could say. I was still dressed in my undershirt and torn tunic pants.

Saras set me down silently next to my padawan and walked over to the food droid behind the counter to get me and her something to eat.

Ranna was too focused on her food to notice me. "Morning Etch." I joked.

"Day light is relative in spa-" She stopped mid sentence and used her one good arm to pull me into a painfully tight embrace. "Master!" The six jedi on the other side of the room looked at us and with cheerful smiles. "Are you okay Master? I saw you in the medical bay when I woke up."

"Just a little kicked around, what's for breakfast?"

"As I had just said, morning is relative in space." She laughed peacefully. "But I believe the droid is serving Gampa juice and mappa bread."

Right as she finished speaking Saras returned with the food Ranna had mentioned. "Just so you know, this means you owe me two weeks of lunches." Laughed Saras before sliding onto the seat ahead of us.

"I thought that saving an entire planet would make us even." I answered sarcastically before cutting off a portion of the sweet, berry flavored bread.

She started to laugh as she drank her juice, making her choke slightly with laughter. "You couldn't have done it without the help of thirty other jedi. On top of that, it was me who found you bleeding out in that tower, three weeks of lunch."

"No deal, two weeks and I pick the place."

"You're the one who owes me, a week and a half and Dex's Diner."

I smiled triumphantly, over the years I had discovered that Saras was extremely difficult to negotiate with and even a small subtraction to my sentence was a huge victory. "Deal." I answered offering my hand in acknowledgement of our deal.

Saras took a bite of her bread and turned to Ranna. "You keep him out of trouble?"

The young girl chuckled. "Only as much as is possible, you should have seen him try to mind trick one of the guards."

"Hey!" I objected.

My padawan ignored me and continued her story. "Not only did he fail to convince him we weren't jedi, he made the poor nerf for brains think he was a jedi." Both women laughed, Saras even started to slip out of her seat.

"In my defense, I did trick him into giving me his blaster." I pulled the blaster off my belt and flashed it to Saras before reequipping to my belt.

"That reminds me." She chuckled as she reached down to her own belt. "Did you happen to lose anything during your fight with Onasi?" She flashed by lightsaber, its light wooden hilt rolling in her palm as she spun it.

"Hey, give that to me!" I ordered her, half jokingly. She gave me a defiant grin and continued to chuckle. I started to reach across the table to grab it from her but my wounded chest struck the table causing me to recoil from pain. "Etch, help me here."

She gave me an amused look. "What do I get out of it?"

"Oh come on Ranna." She proceeded to lean back in her chair, placed her feet on the table and began to relax. "Fine, you can come to lunch with us." I gave up. The girl raised up her hand and Saras threw her the weapon, then tossed the hilt into my lap. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you two planned this." They both gave me a nonchalant chuckle and ate their meals in quiet.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A week later, Ranna's point of view. **_

Let me start by saying that Master Tharen is one of the most stubborn jedi knights I have ever met. That's not to say he's a bad teacher though. Heck, he even let me begin helping him write our mission reports like the one I'm doing now.

The week following our recovery from the events on Telos had been filled with intense physical and mental training, hours of studying in the archive hall doubled with a few hours of sparing in the dueling room against him and other padawans.

Tharen and I were walking through the jedi temple, he was instructing me about how the Old Republic, as he called it, survived its war with the sith empire. "A sith pure blood named Scourge killed the Meetra in front of the empire and imprisoned Revan." He said, finishing his story.

We stopped and looked out the corridor's window across Coruscant. I was astonished by the story he had just finished. "What happened to the Emperor? Did anyone ever defeat him and free Revan?" I had to know the rest.

"History is a little sketchy on what happened next, but from what I know, the Emperor was killed years later by an unknown Jedi." Explained my master. "Revan on the other hand has two conflicting histories, he was either freed by the same jedi that killed the emperor, or was defeated by a sith lord."

"What do you mean _or! _I thought the archives had everything?" I complained a little too loud, a jedi master that was passing my gave me a concerned glare but continued on.

"Never assume all is known." Answered Tharen. "Remember when I had you read about Bastilla?" I nodded. "Well what the archives fail to mention is that Revan and her were married."

"But the Jedi order has very defined and strict restrictions on romance!" I answered.

"The exact reason its not in the archives, do you know the controversy that would take place if that information was well known?"

He turned to see his friend, Saras, walking towards us with her master, Slather. Slather was a male Irodian with light brown skin and sharp horn on the top of his scalp.

"Morning Saras, Master slather." Tharen and I both said in unison.

"Evening young jedi." Announced the elderly Jedi master. "The council has a mission for the four of us." He took a small holographic device, pressed a button on it, and a series of blueprints appeared above the device. "This is the layout of an ancient jedi temple on Tython. The council wants us to retrieve an ancient holocron from a vault underneath the temple." He explained pointing to a small chamber underneath the structure.

"This sounds like a two person job, why send four jedi?" Asked Tharen.

"I was just about to get to that. See these catacombs?" He pointed to a series of tunnels that weaved under the temple, only one of them led to the holocron vault. "The council deemed it necessary to send two teams to search for the holocron, one to look beneath the temple, the other to ward off the indigenous people, the flesh raiders. He closed the device and stashed it back under his robes. "Come with us to the hanger, a ship is waiting for us." He motioned for us to follow him.

~~~•••~~~

The council provided us with an old, yellow cargo freighter, they had probably thought that the old ship would attract less attention. The ship had been named CS Krate. I had to laugh at the complete unoriginality of the ships name. We followed Master Slather up the vessel's rusted boarding ramp. The inside halls were lined with unpainted, rusted durasteel platting.

Tharen and Saras immediately headed for the cockpit and Master Slather turned toward what had been a cargo bay to meditate, leaving me alone.

I sighed and slowly walked over to one of the chairs that surrounded the "crew lounge". Four other metal chairs had been bolted in around a center holographic display.

The ship shuddered as the engines primed and we lifted into the air. I made my self busy by making myself familiar with the controls attached to my chair. I quickly discovered that they controlled the holographic display.

The hologram went from an image of the ship to a representation of the jedi temple, to an image of Tython. A summary of each image accompanied each hologram. I was astonished to learn that Tython was where the Jedi order was first founded.

After reading everything I could on the planet I decided it would be a good idea to announce my newest discovery to my master. I walked on the tip of my toes - which is not easy in boots - in an attempt to sneak up behind Tharen.

When I turned the corner into the cockpit I was shocked by what I saw. Tharen and Saras were sitting next to each other holding hands and Saras was resting her head on my master's shoulder. This broke everything that I had learned as a youngling from Master Yoda. Jedi weren't allowed to love. I felt a bit of disgust at their disregard for jedi teachings, this was supposed to be my teacher, and here he was breaking the jedi code. But there was also a pang of understanding, the rule against jedi live had always seemed a little... well, stupid. Jedi were supposed to be compassionate, understanding, and love is a compassion.

I pulled myself back around the corner so they wouldn't notice me. 'Should I tell Master Slather?' I thought to myself. It was my obligation to report this to the order, but something held me back. My morals wouldn't allow me to take the steps toward the cargo bay, my apprenticeship with Tharen was built on trust and I felt that if I reported him, I'd be betraying his trust.

I decided I would not report him, but I would have to speak to him about it the first chance I got. I silently returned to my seat.

A moment after I sat down, Master Slather entered. He strolled over to the chair across from me and sat down. "How are you feeling?" He said calmly as he motioned to my bandaged arm.

The wound had healed almost completely now, but I had been recommended to keep it on for another few days to avoid infection. "Better." I answered abruptly, trying to keep calm after what I had seen just a few minutes before.

He waited for me to continue with an explanation, but gave up when I shrugged. "Good, I'd better go check on Tharen and Saras then, see how long it's going to be." He sighed, standing up from his chair.

"No, no!" I said as I bolted from my seat. "I'll go." I continued, not giving him a chance to refuse.

I marched down the hallway, creating as much noise as I could, hoping to alert my master to my approach. I entered the cockpit and the two had separated and were staring into hyper space silently.

"Hey Master?" I said.

He turned in his chair to face me, his tunic hung a little looser than usual. I shot him a glare that said _I know what you two are doing. _

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat_._ "What is it Etch?"

"Master Slather wants to know how long the journey is going to be."

Saras stood up nervously. "I'll go tell him, how about you take my seat, Ranna." She volunteered before standing up and walking out of the compact cabin.

Tharen waited until her footsteps disappeared. "What did you see?" Asked my master guiltily.

I went straight to the point. "Do you know what would happen if it had been Master Slather and not me that walked in here earlier?!" I ranted. "What happens to me if they kick you out of the order! The council might believe you'd corrupted me too, all three of us could be exiled!"

"I'm sorry Ranna, I really am." He apologized. "But Saras is important to me. I have tried not to give in to my emotions, but after Telos I told her how I felt." He turned to me. "I know that its hard for you to understand now, but when you get older you'll discover how difficult it is to keep love bottled up."

"Master, I won't pretend to completely understand what you're saying, but I'll keep myself out of your business. As long as you restrain yourself." He nodded and returned to piloting the ship silently.

~~~•••~~~

We dropped out of hyperspace a few hours later. Tython had three distinct continents, each surrounded with a gigantic ocean. The only thing that prevented the planet from being a perfect vacation spot was the dark storm that span the distance of an entire continent. Naturally our destination was at the center of the storm.

Tharen eased the starship into the ominous clouds. Things were going rather smoothly for such a bad storm, that is until we entered the second sub-layer. Dark purple arks of lightning burst between the layers. I had just buckled into my seat when Master Slather and Saras burst into the cockpit.

"What the blasted heck is going on up here?!" Asked Master Slather as he tightly grasped one of the turbulence bars that hung from the ceiling. "Feels like you're flying us through a black hole." He complained as the ship shuddered violently.

I felt something inside the storm, something dark, if I had to describe it with one word it would be malevolent, a close second would be powerful. "I don't know, but it's unnatural." Answered Tharen grinding his teeth as he fought for control of the danced across the forward canopy. "Ranna, shut down the aft stabilizer, its taking us off course." Ordered Tharen, pointing to a switch just out of his reach.

I flipped the switch and the ship was rocked by an extremely powerful explosion. "Blast it!" Cursed Tharen. "There went the lateral stabilizers, this is going to be a rough landing." He warned noticing the blinking light to his left. "Better go strap yourselves in." Saras and Slather disappeared down the hall as the ship started to dip into a steep, uncontrollable decent.

Tharen wrestled with the controls as we dove further to our almost certain death. As we broke through the clouds a jagged, rocky mountain broke into view right in our flight - or crash - path. Just as we were about to collide, I felt the emergency stabilizers kick on. Enabling Tharen to pull the nose up just enough to not collide head on with the mountain, instead we skidded across the side of the mountain, plowing through trees, shrubs and mounds of dirt.

Just before the view screen broke I used the force to throw up a barrier of energy to protect myself from the glass shards. Not all of them were stopped and I could feel the shards dig into me. We struck some sort of large object near the end of our decent, causing the ship to come to an abrupt stop and making me pitch forward into the consol hard enough for me to loose consciousness.

~~~•••~~~

"Owwww..." I groaned as I rubbed my head. I looked around with blurry eyes at the smashed cockpit. Tharen lay across the ships controls next to me. "Master?" I said as I reached across the space between us to feel his pulse. Still alive. "Master are you okay?"

He groaned painfully but nodded.

I unbuckled myself from my seat and checked myself for injuries. My tunic was speckled with drops of blood but after my self inspection, I discovered that none of them were serious enough to warrant immediate attention. I stood up from my chair and approached my master. I had to help him out of his chair because one of the support beams had locked him in place.

He stood up battered, bruised, and his cloak was torn to shreds, but overall he was no worse for ware. "Etch, how you feeling?"

"Better than I look." I answered as I motioned to my bloody tunic. "You think Saras and Master Slather survived?"

"I hope so." He answered before taking a painful step forward.

We both walked with a slight limp as we traveled through the corridor. As exited the hallway I noticed how torn apart the ship had been. The ceiling's plating had collapsed where the holographic display and chairs had been. I prayed that Saras and Slather hadn't been seated when we crashed.

Rain poured in where the ceiling had collapsed, making the ships metal deck slippery. "Saras!" Called Tharen. "Master Slather!" We immediately set to work searching for our missing friends. I used the force to lift the collapsed plating off the chairs, nothing - good, they hadn't been crushed. "Saras, where are you!" Shouted my master as he ignited his green lightsaber to provide light to the poorly lighted vessel.

That's when I remembered what I had read about the indigenous people, the flesh raiders. Large, red, shark like people with vicious fangs and strong enough to through a speeder over thirty yards. "Master!" I cautioned. "We need to find them and get out of here fast, the flesh raiders will be on their way!" The Flesh raiders may have been frightened of Jedi, but that wouldn't be enough to keep them away from a bit of salvage and a fresh kill.

He nodded and sped his search, digging under fallen walls and under destroyed bits of ceiling, but to no avail. I was just about to tell him to give up when a sharp nock sounded from the plating beneath me. "Etch freeze," he ordered sharply. All I heard was the sound of rain beating on the ships exterior, then suddenly a second sharp nock from beneath the deck.

Tharen bolted to it's source on the metal floor. A small latch had been camouflaged into the rusted deck. Tharen twisted the latch and pulled. A small trapdoor lifted off the deck to reveal the ship's smuggler hold. Saras was the first to pull herself out of the hidden compartment and was quickly followed by Master Slather.

A look of relief grew across Tharen's face, I could tell he was fighting the urge to hug her. "You both okay?" He asked. "How did you find that?"

"I've been aware of it since I came aboard, the storage compartment is always the safest part of any smuggling vessel." He was right, the crew always came second to those morally bankrupt enough to resort to smuggling illicit goods. "The one problem was the lack of a door release on the other side." He observed.

"Master, we better get out of here before the flesh raiders arrive." I recommended, nervous about the likely hood of a flesh raider attack. Both Slather and Tharen nodded and the four of us hurried out of the crashed vessel.


	5. Chapter 5

**Tharen's point of view.**

The rain pelted us as we climbed out of our crashed star ship. Master Slather and Saras scouted ahead of us a few yards while Ranna and I held up the rear. Every few steps I would see Saras' hood turn to face us. She knew that Ranna knew about our relationship and she seemed uneasy about it and I couldn't blame her, I was uncomfortable too.

Ranna limped next to me trying painfully to keep up with the grueling pace Master slather had set us on to the jedi Ruins. The remains of her guards cloak and tunic kept her snow white hair dry from the down pour. I had offered to carry her but my padawan, being as prideful as she was, refused and continued to hobble along behind me, clutching her bruised leg. "Master, there are other jedi on Tython right?" I nodded to the girl's question. "Well why aren't they the ones entering this ruin?" She had a good point, why send us to another system just to retrieve some relic that could easily have been found by a jedi already there.

"The jedi academy here isn't trained for the trials we will face below the temple." Answered Master Slather as we came to a halt at the end of a ridge that overlooked a valley of rubble and dilapidated buildings. "Is only a training academy, like the one on Telos, the teachers there are only scholars and need us to do the actual exploring, how do you think we found out about this holocron?"

Slather went into a prone position before crawling to the edge of the cliff and pulled out a pair of macro-binoculars and looked down at the ruins below us. 'Tharen get up here." Ordered the older jedi. The rest of us went into the same position he was in and I crawled closer to the cliff, next to him. "See those huts in the center of the valley?" He handed me his other binocular.

Now that I could get a closer look I could see small, leather huts that comprised the center of the valley. Strange totem poles that contained a mix of metal, cloth, and wood. I shifted my watch to the outskirts of the camp. I almost jumped when I saw it. The creature stood about seven feet tall, with blood red skin, its head was flat and elongated with its two eyes positioned at opposite ends of it's shark like head. "Are those flesh raiders?" I asked Slather.

"Yeah." He answered. "We need a way past them into the ruins." He continued before reaching into his pocket and grabbed two spherical objects. "Sonic grenades, they should be strong enough to incapacitate them long enough for us to get in without killing them." We all pulled out our audio neutralizers and placed them over our ears, before he pushed the activator to the grenades and chucked them towards the flesh-raiders, using the force to land them within striking distance of the flesh raider camp.

By the time they landed we were already down the cliff and running as fast as the mud and rain would permit. Poor Ranna had to block out the pain in her leg to keep up. We reached the jedi temple ruins within moments. It was a circular stone building constructed into the side of a mountain. Dirt and boulders had fell into the collapsed sections of the ancient temple.

Master Slather swiftly pushed the doors open and allowed us inside before slamming the doors shut again and locking them in place with a large, collapsed support beam. then motioned for us to remove our audio-neutralizers "That should prevent any unwelcome guests." He announced before turning to face us. "Saras, you have the map of the temple?"

She reached into one of the pouches on her utility belt and produced a holocaster. "Right here Master." She flipped a switch and the interior layout of the temple materialized above the device. She pointed to an doorway on the opposite side of the large hall way. "There is an entrance somewhere in that section, I can't give you accurate directions because of all the cave ins."

"Okay, then you're coming with me." Ordered Slather as Saras placed the holocaster back in its pouch. "Tharen, can you and your padawan watch the entrance and look out for more flesh-raiders?"

"We got your back, sir." I saluted as the pair turned and walked down the dark, crumbled hallway. I waited until they disappeared before I spoke to Ranna. "Etch, how's your leg?" I noticed that the lower part of her tunic pants had been torn off on her left leg and a bloody bruise had formed.

"I'm fine Master." She grunted as she limped over to a pile of rubble. And sat down. I could tell she was lying.

"Ranna I know you're lying." I approached her and knelt down next to her wounded leg. "Okay, I'm going to show you how to heal yourself with the force." I explained before lifting up her leg so it rested flat on a fallen stone. After removing the ragged remains of by cloak I hovered my right hand above her bruised limb. "Okay Etch, you're going to want to watch this." I centered myself to the force, feeling it running through me like a powerful river. I remembered what Master Caren had said. "Relax... reach out... inside the pain... touch the force, knit bones, mend flesh... renew!" I opened my hand and a bright green light emitted from my palm, enveloping Ranna's injured leg like a mist.

I watched as the blood disappeared from the wound, then the bruise lightened to a deep purple, then green, and finality a soft pink. I snapped my hand shut exhausted and dropped to the broken tile floor. I blocked out everything around me, Ranna, light, even time, all in an attempt to maintain the strength to heal her.

"Tharen are you okay?!" Shouted Ranna as I collapsed on the ground.

"I'm fine Etch." I answered with heavy, labored breaths. "Give me a minute, healing has never exactly been my thing." She chuckled as I noticed she was standing comfortably. "Hurt anymore?"

"Not at all, but you blacked out for a while." She answered as she checked out her now uninjured, slightly raw leg.

"What do you mean?" I asked. My padawan then informed me that an hour had passed during the time I was in a healing trance. It felt strange that an hour had passed without me knowing it but I accepted her explanation. Then I realized something. "Wait, and you haven't heard a single thing from Master Slather?" The half Echani girl nodded, telling me that her communicator had been silent. "And what about the flesh-raiders? Nothing?"

"Not a single sound." She answered.

"That can't be right, they shouldn't still be unconscious by now." I said confused. I looked up at the high ceiling and noticed a small broken window had been placed above the doorway. there was no way that the small ledge along the window could hold my weight. "Ranna, do you think you could get to that window and tell me if they're awake?"

She looked to where I was pointing. "Sure Master." She approached the doorway, took out her grappling hook. She carefully aimed the device and pulled its trigger. A thin metal wire shot from the tubular object and stuck firmly twenty feet above us. Ranna pulled the handle down and attached it to her belt before flipping the trigger again and being pulled into the air. This all happened within seconds.

She landed gracefully on the narrow ledge and stashed her grappling hook back on her belt. "Master!" Her voice sounded frightened. "They're all dead!" She gagged like she might throw up.

"What do you mean they're all dead!" I shouted up to her, just as surprised.

"They're all dead, they're camps on fire and bodies are everywhere!"

I reached out through the force, out of the stone temple walls. She was right, I could since death, cold, malevolent death. That wasn't all I felt though. A dark, deadly power seemed to be inching closer like a fog. The foggy power seemed to grow stronger the closer it got as if it was hunting for its next victim. "Ranna get down!" I ordered. She looked down puzzled. "Now!" I commanded.

She dove from the ledge just as it was blown to bits by a violent explosion of purple lightning. Ranna landed on her feet a few feet away from me with a frightened look. "What was that?!" She shook.

"It looked like the lightning we ran into in the storm." I answered. I could feel the fog outside the door now, I knew it had the power to get inside but did not enter, but it also prevented us from escaping. Which meant it was sentient, or what ever controlled it was. The fog wanted us to go deeper into the temple, and we had little other option.

"You think that's what killed the flesh-raiders?"

"Possibly." I nodded. "We need to go find Master Slather and tell him what we found here." I motioned for her to follow me into the dark corridor that Saras and Slather had entered.

~~~•••~~~

The corridor was narrow with high ceilings. My padawan cautiously walked behind me, I think having me with helped her remain calm after her near death experience with the storms lightning. I held my lightsaber in front of us to provide lighting to the dark, partially destroyed hall way.

With every step the wooden floor below us would creek loudly. "Master, are you sure that we aren't going to drop through the floor?" Asked Ranna nervously taking another step forward.

"I'm sure, Etch." I lied. I have to admit, I too was afraid the old wood beneath us was going to collapse. The poor lighting in the hall way made it difficult to tell where our feet landed. A few more steps into the corridor a loud _snap! _sounded behind me. I turned but it was too late. Ranna had fallen through the broken floor and was clinging to a floor over the dark chasm.

"Tharen help!" She screamed.

I dived to the floor just in time to grasp her hand as the board broke. "Just hold on, I'll pull you up!" I soothed, hoping to keep her from panicking. When I began to pull her up, the floor beneath me began to crack. "Can you see the floor below you?"

She breathed nervously then looked down. "No, its too dark!"

"What about your grappling hook? Latch it to the ceiling."

"If I do that, the ceiling might collapse and kill us both!" Her sweaty fingers started to slip from my gasp. She started to cry, between the ship crash, the storm lightning and now her dangling by my hand I wasn't surprised she was scared. "Master, please don't drop me!" Tears dripped from her stone white eyes.

"Never. I promise, we'll find a way out of this." The board I was laying on began to groan. I felt sorry for Ranna. Only her first month as my student and she had almost died at least five times, quite the master I was.

"I'll catch her!" Shouted a female voice below us.

"Saras, is that you?" I called. Now only Ranna's small fingers were within my grasp.

"Yes!" She answered back. I heard her kick away the wooden rubble below us. Now she turned her attention to Ranna. "Ranna, everything is going to be fine! I am twenty feet below you okay? "

"That's a long way down, how do you know I'll live?" Cried Ranna, she looked back up at me for the answers.

I looked into her teary white eyes. "I'll be right behind you." I promised. "It'll be okay." She gave me a frightened nod and I released my grasp. A few anxious seconds passed, then she called back up and told me she was okay. "Okay, I'm coming down!" I yelled down before jumping into the hole.

I had to use the force to slow me descent and combined with Saras's more advanced control over the force I landed softly on my feet. I had always been slightly jealous of her power with the force, but she was equally jealous of my skill with weaponry.

I had once asked Master Slather why Saras hadn't been permitted to take the trials. He didn't tell me much, but from what he said, the only thing that was holding her back were her emotions. I was left to assume that if Saras could control herself she too would be a jedi knight.

It took me less than a moment to realize we were inside the crypt beneath the ancient temple. Large stone arches every few feet supported the chiseled rock walls and deep rectangular holes in the walls contained simple wooden caskets that must have been maintained by the force because unlike everything around them, they looked newly built.

Saras's tunic was covered in black dust and she held her blue lightsaber high above her for light with her left hand. "What makes you two join me down in this _wonderful _little slice of architecture?" Her sarcasm wasn't exactly joyful, more like she wanted to get it over with.

"Where is Slather?" I asked as I noticed Ranna leaning against one of the arches, catching her breath. "The storm outside is- I don't know how to describe it, it feels alive." She gave me an odd, confused look. "The storm killed all of the flesh-raiders."

"The dark side of the force must be giving it strength." She hypothesized. She pointed toward the northern side of the dark cavern with her blue lightsaber. "My master went that way." She motioned for us to follow her down the stone tunnel.

As we walked I grabbed the communicator off my utility belt and tried to contact Master Slather to get a better fix on his location. "Master Slather, this is Tharen, what is your position?" _Static. _"Mater Slather, where are you?" I said after a few moments. "Blast!" I cursed. "The walls down here must be too thick." I replaced the communicator back on my belt.

I froze as I heard a low grumble just a few feet behind us. Ranna and I both turned, nothing. Ranna clung closer to me as we continued our search. The low grumbling grew more thunderous as we continued.

I could feel the dark energy again, the same fog that had killed the flesh-raiders. It was growing stronger. I had just enough time to turn and draw my lightsaber to defend myself. Powerful lightning struck my lightsaber and arced around me in a lotus of energy.

All I could see in front of me was an ocean of pitch blackness. I was forced to step back as dark wisps nipped at my feet. I looked to my left, Saras was next to me with her weapon drawn.

"This is but a taste of the dark side." Whispered the fog malevolently as if quoting itself. "To whet your appetite." A deep cackle echoed through the cavern, then a wave of purple energy rippled through the cloud itself. A single orange beam arced from it's center towards Saras. "Learn from my power!" The orange lightning quickly overwhelmed Saras and struck her in the chest. Then the fog disappeared into itself like it had been sucked into a black-hole.

Saras stood there surprised. The energy had burned a hole through her jedi tunic and dispersed across her body, but it didn't seem to cause her any pain, and it worried me. She switched off her lightsaber and returned it to her belt.

"What was that!?" Asked Ranna, behind me.

"I think it was a spirit. A force ghost." I answered.

"That's impossible, they're a myth." She denied.

"I told you this morning, don't believe everything you-"

"-read in the archives, I know, but that's just crazy." She seemed to think about it for a moment. "When we get back to the temple, I will have to study this further." I nodded to my padawan, assuring her that I would join her.

"Can we continue now?" Saras's tone had changed, she seemed more angry, almost demanding. "I think Master Slather is just a little farther."

She started to move further down the cavern but I grabbed her by the forearm. "Saras, are you okay?" Anger had always been difficult for her to control, but she had never acted this way with me, especially after she and I started secretly dating.

"I'm fine." She spat as she yanked her arm free and pushed past Ranna. As she passed me I could have sworn her eyes had shifted color from blue to a blood red, but with the dark lighting, it was hard to tell. "Come on, I want to get out of here quickly!" She ordered without slowing down.

~~~•••~~~

Slather wasn't too much farther down the tunnel. He stood in front of a large wooden door. Different hieroglyphs were etched into the wood. These weren't jedi style carvings though. Each figure seemed more angular than the rounded, soft carvings back at the temple on Coruscant. Its massive size dwarfed the four of us, it helped explain the high roofed cavern.

A triumphant grin grew across his tattooed face as we approached. "This is the entrance to the holocron room." Saras quietly joined his side and inspected the door. "I think it requires a password to open it."

Ranna inched closer to the door. "I think I recognize these hieroglyphs." She paused for a moment. "These are Echani."

"How do you know Echani?" I asked.

"Master, you do remember my father was Echani right?" I felt stupid for asking. "Do werupra." She chuckled as she continued to analyze the carvings.

"What does that mean?"

"I may not speak the language." Laughed Slather with his deep voice. "But I think she just called you a moron." A smug grin grew across both their faces.

"Can we just get this over with." Demanded Saras.

"Just one minute." Answered Ranna, starting to get slightly irritated with Saras's tone.

I took the free moment to explain to Master Slather what had occurred outside. He was shocked to learn the destructive power of the fog, then I explained, much to Saras's disapproval, what had happened just a few minutes before. He asked Saras if she felt okay and she brushed him off like he was some over protective parent. This definitely wasn't the Saras I knew and loved, Master Slather too knew something was wrong, but he didn't say anything.

"I think I got it!" Announced Ranna. She stood up from her knee and brushed off the dirt. "Its some sort of story. According to this, after the jedi civil war." She grinned back at me, at least I had thought her something useful. "Six jedi rebuilt the order, one of them was half Echani, like me, she sealed some sort of dark artifacts inside here, following her master's disappearance."

"Yeah, yeah, history. Blah, blah. Can you open the door?" Interrupted Saras. I wanted to call her on her poor treatment of my padawan but Master Slather signaled me to let it go.

"I was just getting to that." Answered Ranna, growing even more irritated by her fellow padawan's behavior. She looked at me to defend her from my girlfriend's waning temper but I just sighed, showing her I couldn't do anything. "The door will only open when one of equal echani and human blood pushes against this hieroglyph." She pointed to a carving of a jedi in a heavy cloak, wielding a duel bladed saber-staff. "All seems a little too convenient." She laughed as she held her own saber-staff in her hand.

"The force works in mysterious ways." I explained. "It guided you here, to open this door."

She nodded and pressed her hand softly against the door. A soft, silver light leaked out as the doors cracked open, lighting a portion of the cavern with its light. Saras was the only one to flinch as the light flooded in. The doors slowly glided open.

Saras was the first one inside, pushing her way passed Ranna, into the doorway, I followed her after my eyes adjusted to the light. The doorway lead into a large, open chamber with almost ice-like pillars that held up the ceiling and somehow lit the room. The floor was a cold, white marble, and the walls were a light gray stone that displayed even more of the Echani hieroglyphs. A polished, white sarcophagus sat in the center of the room.

"The carvings outside said this is the tomb of a jedi master turned Sith by the name of Atris." Explained Ranna, approaching me from behind. "The jedi I mentioned earlier-"

"I could really care less." Spat Saras as she pushed the lid off the casket. "We aren't here for a history lesson."

Slather ran up to the sarcophagus before Saras could look inside it. "Are you okay?" He asked pulling her back away from it.

She pulled back from him again. "I'm more than fine Master!" She hissed before moving swiftly to the other side of the sarcophagus and climbed inside of it.

The room shifted to a dark, bloody red as she climbed inside. "I have returned!" Cackled a voice I knew wasn't Saras's. "Foolish week minded Jedi. Always so easy to manipulate." A boney hand reached out of the casket and began to lift the rest of it's carcass out of its tomb.

Slather, Ranna and I immediately drew our lightsabers as we saw the full body stand up. A boney figure with dry, leathery skin, cloaked in a tattered, white robe watched us with rotten, red eyes. That wasn't what worried me most though, the figure, who was obviously female, held Saras's limp body under one of it's arms and a lightsaber with a silver hilt hung from one of its ribs.

"Put her down!" I ordered stepping closer to the walking corpse. I could feel it was strong with the dark side of the force. "I'm only warning you once."

It gave me a toothless grin and ran a skinless finger across Saras's flawless, unconscious face. "I sense much power in you, its too bad you weren't a compatible host." The figure closed its leathery eye lids and set Saras back inside the sarcophagus. "Her life force will supply me with enough power to defeat you three though." Cackled the demonic female voice as a black mist began to stream from Saras into the figure. "Your energy will maintain me as I return to power."


	6. Chapter 6

**Tharen's point of view.**

Master Slather was the fist one to jump into battle, he bounded over the sarcophagus and placed himself between the undead woman and his limp padawan. His blue lightsaber was a blur as he deflected an onslaught of powerful blows from the zombie sith lord. For a centuries old dead woman, she could move surprisingly fast.

As Ranna and I slowly split to flank the zombie. Now she was surrounded on by the three off us. Now she resorted to force powers as Ranna and I cautiously advanced. As she defected a glancing blow from Slather's ocean blue blade she released a thunderous shock wave of deadly, purple lightning.

Ranna and I jumped back just in time to avoid being electrocuted but Slather wasn't so lucky. As he was protecting himself from her red lightsaber, he was caught in the blast. The power of her shock wave sent the jedi master flying, he struck the sarcophagus hard enough for one of it's sides to crumble.

Slather didn't move as the the sith lord stiffly marched toward the wounded jedi. "Fear me." She spat on him as she grabbed him by one of his stubby horns and pulled him into the air. "I am no longer ! I am now Darth Traya, prepare to dye." She emitted a loud curdling scream as she plunged her blade into the semiconscious master's chest and cleaved upward, cleaving him in half.

Rage overcame me as I watched a man I had known for a lot of my life be split in half. The only thing that kept me from charging the undead woman was my jedi training, I forced myself to control m emotions. What worried me was Ranna, she might not have known him as well, but she was still young, she couldn't control herself as well.

Anger seemed to radiate from my padawan as she charged Traya. I tried to tell her to stop but it was too late, the undead sith lord had already charged herself up for another force power. She raised up her hand and in a single deafening _boom! _Ranna and I were sent flying across the tomb. I started to pull myself back upright but the undead woman unleashed another wave of force energy. My lightsaber flew from my grasp as the energy collided with me.

Time seemed to freeze as I lost consciousnesses. Everything went a pale white and the sith woman seemed to freeze in time. Everything had a surreal feeling to it and I was unable to move my body. A ghostly form seemed to materialize a few feet from me.

The ghost was obviously female by her hourglass figure. Her angular face was partially concealed by a spectral, white cloak that covered her body. "Greetings, young jedi knight."Announced the ghost woman as she lowered her hood to reveal her stone white eyes and snowy short hair. It took me less than a second to realize she looked like an older version of Ranna. "I can only manifest this form for a short time." She explained.

I tried to speak but my lips refused to function.

"Atris was once a powerful jedi, I am Brianna, last of the Handmaidens, and you will need my help." Warned the female ghost. She held out a single hand and a single crystalline tube appeared in her hand. A lightsaber, it's hilt seemed to be made of polished white crystal with chrome bands that were at the center and an angular emitter. "This is my blade." She explained. My hands started to lift as if they had minds of their own. "Use it well."

She disappeared the same way that the darkness had inside the catacombs. Time began to bleed back into reality. Traya stalked toward me as I pulled myself to my feet. I had just enough time to ignite the ghost's lightsaber and defect the sith lord's attack.

"Where did you get that blade!" Hissed the undead woman as she delivered a forceful slash that I barely parried. "The traitor gave it to you didn't she." I took a moment to look at the lightsaber's color, a brilliant silver that provided a stark contrast to the sith's blood red. I tried to counter attack her but she caught by blade with hers and forced me back.

I didn't answer, I was too focused on trying to find my padawan. I looked around the room looking for Ranna. While I was distracted Traya took the advantage and and and stabbed at my heart. I had just enough time to dodge out of her way but not without injury. She had struck a glancing blow to my shoulder.

I pushed through the pain and counter attacked. While I was below her guard, I channeled my control over the force and pushed out with all my strength. To my surprise I had sent her rocketing across the room, crashing into one of the ice pillars and she crumpled under them. I could feel the lightsaber focusing my abilities like water through a faucet. Had that been the help that Brianna had been talking about? Had she given me the blade to strengthen me or simply provide me with a weapon? Either way I hoped that had been the end of Darth Traya.

I looked over at the sarcophagus, the stream of dark fog had dissolved to a trickle. I ran over to it. Saras was laying there unconscious. Her skin had turned a sickly pale and her body twitched painfully. I leaned over and picked her up with both arms. The black fog dissolved as I lifted her out of the sarcophagus.

Ranna appeared at my side as I cradled the woman I loved in my arms. "The dark side has infected her." She said as she brushed her hand across Saras's cracked face. I knew she was right but didn't want to admit it. "Will she be okay Master?"

I didn't answer, I was to busy watching Saras's eyes flutter open. "How did we get here?" She murmured.

"You don't remember?" Asked Ranna.

"What do you remember last?" I soothed, holding her tight in my burned arms.

She paused for a moment and thought. It all seemed to be coming back to her now. "I am so sorry." An apologetic tear started to drip down her cheek. "I didn't mean to be so-"

I cut her off mid sentence. "It's okay, it wasn't you acting that way, it was the Sith." I soothed as I helped her sit down on the steps to the sarcophagus.

"Wheres Master Slather?"

I didn't answer. The ice pillars had begun to crumble more, I could still sense the dark side coming from beneath the rubble. Ranna, help Saras get back to the entrance!" I ordered.

"Master, let me help you!" Demanded my apprentice.

"Ranna do as I tell you and get her out of here!" She started to argue but I didn't let her. "Etch, If I don't make it, some one needs to survive this to warn the Jedi on this planet. Get Saras to a healer, as a favor to me."

She stopped arguing and nodded. She pulled Saras off the ground and braced her against her shoulder. "Just one second." Requested Saras, Ranna stopped moving forward. Saras grabbed me by the tunic, pulled me closer and gave me a heavy kiss on the lips. "I'm sorry, for everything I've done to you." She apologized as she allowed Ranna to pull her out of the crypt.

Now to prepare. I quickly walked over to the pile of stones my lightsaber had landed on and picked up my blade. Next I placed both blades on my belt and took out my blaster. It's power meter told me that the primary battery had been overloaded, leaving me with just it's stun setting, the worst problem was the barrel had been fused shut when the pistol overloaded. Which meant that if I fired it, the power-cell would short circuit and explode. That left me with two lightsabers and and an explosive blaster.

Knowing it would be too straining and time consuming to heal myself from my injuries, I centered myself to the force around me, the pain from the burns on my arms and legs began to disappear, although I knew they were still there.

The ruble that had fallen on Darth Traya began to crumble as I prepared myself. I felt a third presence in the chamber, I felt out with the force, the same benevolent force, Brianna. Her essence surrounded me as the I awaited the sith. I could feel her inside me, connecting with my soul, for a moment I thought I might be possessed but dismissed it. I had read about sith ghost possession and this wasn't what it was. Brianna as merging with me, I could feel her strength adding to mine, her knowledge, even her power within the force was now added to mine.

_Crash! _A piece of column, that had fallen on Traya, launched from it's resting place at me. Without even thinking I drew both lightsaber's and sliced the chunk in half, sending it crashing to both of my sides.

Now she appeared. The sith lord stalked out of the opening made by the now cleaved chunk of ice. Her face had been pealed away so that her jaw bone protruded out, and her lips were ripped away, revealing jagged, yellow, and rotten teeth.

"Stupid Jedi!" She cackled. "So self righteous, you need to learn that helping others only brings pain to those around you, makes them lazy. That child would have died to help you." The sith stalked toward me but did not ignite her lightsaber. "You should have indulged her in that death wish, would have made a great story for my new empire! The death of Master and Apprentice." She used the force to levitate her lightsaber in front of her and watched me with blood red eyes.

"If I must die, so let it be, but I will not allow you to harm another soul on this planet." I answered igniting both my green lightsaber, and the silver one from Brianna.

"One of your so-called _Masters _couldn't stop me, what makes you think you can?" I could sense the dark energy flowing through the ice and stone walls that surrounded us. "I will start with this planet, then continue to the next, then the next!"

Her monologue had gone on for long enough, I charged. Her blade ignited midair and she counter attacked, forcing me to block it with one blade, while slashing outwith the other. I missed but forced Traya to slide away from me.

Before she could recover I charged again. This time my silver blade struck it's mark. Her boney left hand fell to the ground and crumbled into a pile of smokey dust.

The loss of limb didn't seem to phase the undead sith. She only laughed and looked at her cauterized stump. "Stupid Jedi, you are going to need to try harder than that." She pointed with her left arm as if her hand was still there and a blast of deadly force lightning blasted out of her stump.

I used the silver blade to reflect the energy back on her hoping it would inflict enough pain to stop her but she seemed to only absorb the energy back into herself.

"Blast!" I cursed. I parried her red lightsaber with my silver blade and slashed across her chest with my green one. She didn't even flinch, the blade passed through her as if she was a ghost.

_Wrong blade! _I heard Brianna's ethereal voice echo through my head. _You need to use mine!_

"Blast!" I cursed.

She pressed her offence now. While I was caught off guard by her spectral body, she shoved me to the ground by roughly pressing against my defensive blade with her own.

Both blades flew out of my hands and skidded out of reach.

"And so begins my reign!" Snickered the sith as she stood over me. "I would love to draw this out and watch you suffer but I need be going, the Jedi aren't going to destroy themselves." Her red blade was now just above my chest and her mummified foot held me in place. "Goodbye jedi!" She hissed before the blade struck.

I hadn't realized it but I must have drawn the Brianna's lightsaber to my hands and stabbed her through the chest, this time it burned through her abdomen like magma. Her blade seemed to rust instantly and crumble away. Her limbs turned into wisps, the blood redness of her eyes seemed to fade. Her head was the last thing to disappear. As her head faded I think I caught for a moment a hint of light before she evaporated.

I layed on the ground exhausted for a while until I heard footsteps running down the cavern. "He's this way!" I heard Ranna's voice order. "Hurry!"

Moments later four Jedi entered the chamber with lightsabers drawn, ready for a fight. They instantly lowered them as they noticed me laying on the ground.

"Master!" Ranna yelled as she pushed past the four masters and ran to me. "You defeated her! Are you okay?" She helped me sit upright.

"Nothing more than a few bruises." I looked toward the four Jedi lifting Master Slather's body onto a stretcher. "Where's Saras?" I asked as I replaced both blades back on my belt. Ranna didn't answer, she only pulled a note out of her tunic. "Where is she Etch?

"I'm sorry Master, there was nothing I could do." She placed the note in my palms and stood up. "I'll meet you by the exit." A moment later I was alone.

The note was obviously Saras's hand writing. It's fluid letters and her trademark pink ink. It was kind of a joke between the two of us since we had started passing notes during lessons in the archives.

_Tharen, you know how much I care about you right? Well that is why I must go. There is a darkness inside me, I've known it since we first arrived on this damn planet, it must have always been there._

_Don't try to follow me, there is nothing you can do, its not your fault, this is something I must deal with on my own. The jedi order isn't the place for me, not after all this. _

_Don't blame Ranna for me taking off this way, she wasn't going to be able to stop me, and it's easier this way. No dragged out goodbyes, no apologies. Not directly anyway, just quick, like a bandage._

_Just remember, I will always love you and if I ever figure out what is going on inside me, you will be the first to know._

I slowly folded the note into my belt along both my lightsabers and stood up. I searched the room for any sign of Brianna's spirit but found nothing, I couldn't even sense her through the force. Just a cold, half demolished burial chamber.

I walked over to the sarcophagus. A lone, glowing cube sat at the bottom. "I hope all of this was worth it." I sighed as I grabbed it. "Because none of this should have happened." Moments later I joined my padawan by the entrance. She led the way silently through the tunnels toward the exit, she must have understood that I didn't want to talk.


	7. epelouge

It was a week before Ranna and I were able to return to the Jedi temple on Coruscant. I was alone inside my chambers, on my bed, looking at the holocron we had retrieved from Tython. It's bright red glow illuminated my palm as I analyzed it's intricate outer layer.

"So Master Slather's dead?" I looked up from the cube to see Master Caren standing in the doorway. "Is Saras dead too?"

"No, she disappeared, I have no idea where she is now..." I looked back down at the holocron. "Ranna and I searched for her but... but we found nothing." I glanced over at Saras's note tucked inside my cloak a few feet away. "Before she left, she said something about having a darkness inside her."

"Then there is nothing we can do for her." Answered my former master before sitting next to me on my bed. "The force has other plans for her."

"None of this would have happened if it weren't for this blasted holocron!" I almost threw it against the wall but Master Caren grabbed my wrist and took the device from me.

"There is no way anyone could have known what was down there." She soothed."I know you two were close." She looked into my eyes. "Maybe a little _too _close."

_How did she know about Saras and I? Ranna must have told her. _I thought to myself.

"But nobody is responsible for Slather's death and Saras's disappearance." She stood up and walked towards the door. "Go meet your apprentice in the Hanger bay, we have a mission for you.

_**An/ I think I'll end this story here, I might write another though. Next, to the clone wars!**_


End file.
